Penetrating and expanding fastener



May 8, 1956 w. E. MURPHY 2,744,437

PENETRATING AND EXPANDING FASTENEIR Filed Nov. 2, 1951 r i1? 1/ I E WW /M This invention relates to improvements in hanger fixturesand thelike for suspending or attaching articles on I a wall structure. s v

,The principal objectof the presentinvention is to pro- I vide a hanger fixture thathas unique piercing and locking means toattach the fixture to a wall.

Another object is to provide ahanger fixture that cuts itsown aperture in the wall when it is installed, as in driving a nail.

, A. further object is to provide ahanger fixture that has locking means for embracing a relatively large-area of support behind a wall. 1 I A Further objects are to provide a wall anchor type of fixture that is simple in -construction,- easy to install, and

makes a solid connection with a-wall that would not hold ordinary nails or screws securely.

whderein the nail member has pierced through the wall; an I Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the device in fully anchored position, the device itself being shown in elevation. s

It is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a fixture of the typedescribed which will make a solid anchor in'a wall structure when driven therein. The'device is principally designed, however, to provide a hanger for articles to be hung on a wall, such as pictures, and may be used for any purpose wherein an anchor is desired in a relatively thin structure. The device is'easily assembled and forms its own aperture in the wall, obviating the use of any tools except a hammer.

Figure 1 shows the fixture in assembled relation, and Figures 2, 3 and 5 show the parts thereof which comprise adriving member or punch 10, Figure 2, a nail or piercing member 11, Figure 3, and a sheet of stamped metal 12, Figure 5. The punch has a driving head 14 on one end for driving by a hammer. The nail portion 11 has a sharpened point 17 and a rearwardly facing shoulder forming a stop 18. The nail has a head 19 made in the form of a segmented flange 20, there being three such segments shown in Figure 4 for illustration.

- The sheet 12 is made from a suitable metal such as tin which is easily stamped and made into blanks. As

seen in Figure 5, the sheet 12 has three slots 23 extending V *substantially the full length thereof, terminating a short .In general, the present invention comprises a fixture on a wall between studs .or. frame membersthat support the wall. The device is especially: adaptablelto walls constructed of plaster or'plasterboard and may also he I conveniently used on fiberboard walls or other relatively thin structures whereordiriary'nails and screws cannot be used effectively. The device has three parts which of the type that is used to attach articles or hang pictures. 1

as tin which is substantially longer than the nail. ,The'

tubular member is formed around the nail from a sheet and has elongated slots to fit over segments of the flange forming the nail head. The sheet which forms the tube has additional slots cut in the end which passes through' the wall to weaken said end. .After the nail and tube are driven through the wall by the use of a punch and a hammer, the tube can be driven farther to expand the weakened end thereof and format flared portion embracing the rear surface of the wall. I

The invention will bebetter understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodi It is to be understood, how-.

ment of the invention. ever, that the invention may take other forms, and all in the art are included in the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the parts of distance from each end. Cut between the elongated slots 23 is a pair of slots 24 which extend from adjacent one end to approximately 'half the length ofv the sheet. The slots cut in the sheet 12 thus form a number of narrow strips 25 on the one end and it is seen that the struc ture of this end of the sheet is considerably weakened by said slots. As hereinbefore stated, the slots 23 and 24 do not extend to the ends ofthe sheet, but terminate a short distance therefrom, thus providing unslotted end portions 27 and 28. End 27 is rolled or folded outwardly to forrn a reinforcing bead 29 around that end.

.i To assemble thedevice, it is necessary only to wrap the metal sheet 12 into a tube around the nail member 11,

the sheet 12 may have any number of slots to provide a plurality of bands 25, it being necessary that the sheet be provided with elongated slots 23 so positioned as to receivethe segments20 of the nail head 19 when the device is assembled. 7

After the sheet 12 is rolled around the nail, the punch 10 is inserted in the rear end of the tube thus formed to abut against the nail head 19. Striking the punch 10 drives the nail through the wall 30 to the position shown such modifications as will be obviousto persons skilled the device of the invention assembled in readiness to be driven into a wall structure;

Figure 2 is an elevation view of the driving member or punch; s I

Figure 3 is an elevation view of the nail member;

Figure 4 isan end view of the nail member showing the shape of the head;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the sheet of stamped metal which is used to form the tubular member of the device, showing the arrangement of 'slots cut therein;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the assembled device showing a first step of driving the device into a wall beaded end 29 of the tube is struck with a hammer. The

forward end of the tube engages the shoulder 18 of the nail and, as the nail can travelno farther, the bands 25 of the tube expand or bow out to the position shown,

locking the device to the wall. At the completion of travel of the tube, the unslotted. end portion 27 engages the nail head 19 and protrudes sufficiently from thewall to support a wire an'd'the like suspended therefrom. The expandedportion of the tube embraces a relatively-large area behind the wall to prevent damage to the wall and to provide a solid anchor for articles suspended from the protruding end' 27 of the tube 12. Bread 29 forms ahead on the tube end 27 to be struck with a hammer and also provides-a hookforpicturewvirewhen apicturc is to be suspen'ded'from theprojectingend of thetube.

It is obvious that the fixture can be applied to walls of varying thicknesses. When applied to a relatively thin wall, the radial expansion of the strips25 will be greater. forming a wide area or support behind the wall. On thicken walls, the area of the rear surface of the wall coveredby the strips will'be less, but in this instance a large clamping area'is not necessary.

Having now described my invention-and in what manner the same'may be used, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

'1. A wall'fixture comprising a Wall piercing member having a sharpened point and a rearwardly facing shoulder forming a' stop'adjacent said'point, said piercing member also having a shank and a driving head in the form of asegmented flange, a longitudinally slotted tubeengaging around said shank, the slots in said tube terminating'adjacent the ends of the tube to provide a tube having-unslotted' end portions, an unslotted end portion of said tube abutting said shoulden the radially extending segments of said driving head extending through said slots whereby said driving head may be caused to engage the surface of the wall, the walls of said tube being comprised of a plurality of deformable strips of greater length that said shank separated by said slots and extending longitudinally of the tube between said unslotted end portions, said strips being adapted to bow radially outward behind said-wall when said tubeis driven against said shoulder.

2. A wall'fixture as defined in claim 1 in which the other unslotted end portion of said tube forms a driving head on said tube for driving said tube against said shoulder, said last driving'headprojeeting from the wall when 'the fixture is mounted in the wall and having a flange spaced from the wall'to form a hook on the wall.

3. A wall'fixture as defined in claim 1 in which said tube has additional longitudinal slots between said first mentioned slots extending from a point adjacent the shoulder'abutting" end of said tube to approximately-the mid length of the tube.

4. An anchor fixture comprising a piercing member having a sharpened point, a rearwardly facing shoulder forming a stop adjacent said point, a head on the other end of said piercing member comprising a radially extending segmented flange, a'l longitudinally slotted tube engaging around saidpiercing member, the slots in said tube terminating adjacent the ends of the tube to provide a tub-2 having unslotted end portions, an unslotted end of said tube abutting said stop, the segments of said flange on said piercing'member extending through said slots to limit the penetration of said piercing member in an anchoring medium, said slots defining a plurality of strips of greater length than the distance between said shoulder and head of said piercing member forming the walls of said tube, said strips being deformable radially of said tube when said tube is' driven against said stop.

5. A wallfixture comprisingawall piercing member having a sharpened point and a rearwardly facing shoulder forming a stop adjacent said-point, said piercing member-also having a shank and a driving head inthe form of a segmented'fiange, a longitudinally slotted tube engaging around said shank, the slots in said tube ter' minating adjacent theends of the tube to provide a tube having unslotted end portions, one of said'unslotted end portions abutting said shoulder and the other forming a driving 'head-onsaid tube, the segments of said firstdriving head projecting radially through said tube'slots and adapted to engagea wall surface, the walls of'saidtube comprising a plurality'of deformable longitudinal strips of greater length than said shank separated by said slots and adapted to bow radially outwardly'behind the wall when'the tube isdrivenagainst said shoulder References Cited in-thefile of this patent -UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,778 Howard Dec. 28, 1915 1,214,679 Hindmarsh Feb. 6, 1917 2,098,556 Tamada Nov. 6, 1937 2,148,977 Buck Feb. 28, 1939 2,313,616 'Bowersox Mar. 9, 1943 

